ACE January 2020

Industry Speaks
Nejeeb Khan,
Head Design and Business Strategy
in India, Katerra
The construction sector
will be at the center of
rapid economic and social
change
Katerra specialises in putting modern technology to work at all levels of building design
and construction to help address some of the most entrenched challenges. Nejeeb Khan,
Head Design and Business Strategy in India, Katerra, believes that construction sector
will play a crucial role in India’s growth.
How is the construction sector coping with
current challenges in Indian economy?
The construction market in India is valued
at $1.2 trillion plus and is a significant
contributor to the economic and social
growth of the nation. However, the sector
faces numerous challenges, reducing
its efficacy and unhindered growth
prospects. The Indian construction industry,
traditionally, has been quite slow in
adopting new technologies, and this has
been one of its biggest challenges. Several
surveys show how, over the years, real
estate developers have continued to under
invest in technology-driven solutions
for construction, despite acknowledging
the many benefits that these solutions
can provide to run and manage their
construction projects.
adopt new technologies to stay relevant.
A more technology-driven approach to
design and construction can be a catalyst
for India to become a global leader in the
construction space and boost the Indian
economy.
What kind of new inventions and
techniques can we see in the upcoming
year?
Poised to become the world’s thirdlargest
construction sector by 2025, India
is witnessing a high uptake of modular
The broader focus of the industry currently
is to make construction both sustainable
and energy-efficient through advanced
technologies. Strict project timelines and
increasing costs make it necessary for
companies in the construction space to
18 January 2020 ACE UPDATE
ARCHITECTURE CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING